Family Fun Day

We spent the other day in the park with some out of town friends at one of the best parks in the area. It has lots of grassy hills and old oak trees- like the one we are in! On the 4th we just stayed home and "got stuff done". My daughter is not a fireworks fan, so we are low key. The 5th felt more like a celebration being at the park after church, lounging on a blanket. We rarely stay still, so this was 'fun' for us! My friend has 5 kids including the cutest 6 month old. Her cheeks and thighs were so pudgy and cuddly- and I got to hold her almost the whole time. :) I really got my baby fix. I sure miss that age- their little personalities are coming out and they love being held. Lucky mama!

What To Do With 24 Fat Quarters?

I was given the challenge to create a patchwork diaper bag, blanket and burp cloths from 23 fat quarters a customer gave me. I was giddy for the opportunity. I added one fabric from my collection to make an even 24 using Amy Butler's Midwest Modern and Daisy Chain fabrics. I started off cutting 5 1/2" strips and sewed them in groups of 3. I then began placing them where needed. For the bag flap I actually used the scraps from cutting the ends off of the strip groups. I put light blue minky on the back of the patchwork blanket. I am so pleased with the way it all came out. The aquas and greens really glow! It will be so hard to mail this package out today! :)

Diaper Bags

My custom diaper bags have become a popular item in my store. I really love making them and mixing it up! It's fun because everyones taste is a little different and I get to play with so many fabrics! This diaper bag I made to sell because I just love the new Dance With Me fabric from Jennifer Paganelli. The "cheater" patchwork reminds me of my bedding as a tween. As soon as I saw it, for some reason I thought diaper bag, so I used that fabric for the flap and then used coordinating fabrics from Jen's other lines to pull out the colors in the patchwork. I call it "groovy cottage" because it has a 70's flavor with cottage coziness. I get to do a "real" patchwork diaper bag for someone in Amy Butler's Midwest Modern2 & Daisy Chain in aquas and greens. I am itching to make it and can't wait to post pics. She also wants a baby blanket and burp cloths. Quite a beautiful set in the making. I still can't believe that I do what I do. Creating all these beauties is a dream job for me!! God is good!

Blankets Galore

I am really enjoying making patchwork and minky blankets. It is really so rewarding and each one is different. My husband and I trekked out to downtown LA to buy a ton of minky. It is really hard to see what color it is online. There are no good sources locally, so everything is online- which is fine with me! I have such creative customers- always willing to work things out, be kind to what stash I have. Each blanket is a labor of love- truly!! My son told me the other day that I was in love with fabric. Kids are so intuitive sometimes. I was commenting on his boy favorites and saying "How could you love playing airsoft?"- I don't get the whole gun thing. He said that was better than loving fabric- ha! Fabric won't hurt you! I hope to get lots of blanket orders so I can order more minky and fabric that I love!!

Darla Chronicles

Here is my Darla quilt ready to quilt. I say "my" quilt, but it is actually for a customer and I know I will be so sad to see it get mailed out. I feel like each project is a part of me and it is hard to part with it. The good news is that I know it is going to a good home of a fellow Darla lover. My daughter has already had me start to plan one for her room, but she wants it as a summer blanket with minky on the back. I would like to try it to see if I can make one that big without "tying" it together. Work study is what I will tell my husband! He always says, "Do we really need another blanket?" Of course we do! :)

I have been really pleased with the way it has turned out so far. I keep thinking of the verse God gave me, "The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands" Deuteronomy 2:7, and can't help but feel that way with this quilt. Sometimes I look at it and say "Wow, it all lines up!" or "It's the exact measured size I need!". I keep surprising myself with each step. Good thing, though, because how could I send this to someone feeling frustrated with it. I know there will be flaws, but I'm human! My sewing mentor, Pam, once said, "If you don't notice the mistake if you were on a galloping horse, don't worry about it." Okay, I can handle that, then!! I can't wait to start today!

What to do with scraps? Well, I decided to make a wall hanging for my daughter's room using raw-edge applique. I confess I would get frustrated if I did it it the traditional way, so I can get a quicker gratification with this method. I also entered it into a contest from sewmamasew's blog
http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/index.php?paged=2. I feel like I accomplished 2 things: using up my stash and scraps and make my daughter happy!

So Many New Fabrics, So Little Time!!

I have been getting new fabric almost every day. Some for special orders, some I just have to have! Check out my flickr site to see all the new postings:

http://flickr.com/photos/sewfunbymonique

We are getting ready for Easter this weekend and I will be doing dinner for my family. We are looking forward to a nice, warm, family day. It is supposed to be 75 degrees here in CA. PERFECT! Have a blessed Easter!